UK bans Israelis from enrolling in prestigious defense academy from next year

The Royal College of Defence Studies, one of Britain’s most eminent military academies, has banned Israelis from enrolling from next year, due to the ongoing war in the Gaza Strip, the UK government confirmed to British media on Sunday.

A UK Defense Ministry spokesman told The Telegraph that while British defense programs were open to personnel from a “wide range of countries, with all UK military courses emphasizing compliance with international humanitarian law… the Israeli government’s decision to further escalate its military operation in Gaza is wrong.”

The spokesman added that “there must be a diplomatic solution to end this war now, with an immediate ceasefire, the return of the hostages, and a surge in humanitarian aid to the people of Gaza.”

It marked the first time that the prestigious college banned Israelis since its establishment in 1927. Defense Ministry Director General Maj. Gen. (res.) Amir Baram and IDF spokesperson Brig. Gen. Effie Defrin are among the Israeli officers who have attended the school.

Baram denounced the move as a “discriminatory” and a “profoundly dishonorable act of disloyalty to an ally at war,” according to a letter to the UK Defense Ministry cited by The Telegraph.

The move was a “disgraceful break with Britain’s proud tradition of tolerance — and plain decency,” Baram wrote, noting that Israel was “defending international shipping from Houthi aggression, preventing nuclear weapons from falling into the hands of an Islamist regime that chants ‘Death to England,’ and fighting to bring home 48 hostages from Hamas captivity.”

Relations between London and Jerusalem have been strained, as anger grows in the UK over the ongoing war in Gaza, which was sparked when Hamas-led terrorists murdered 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and took 251 hostages, on October 7, 2023.

In June, the UK sanctioned far-right ministers Itamar Ben Gvir and Bezalel Smotrich and froze trade talks with Israel.

Then, UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer announced in July that the UK would recognize a Palestinian state at the UN General Assembly this month unless the Israeli government took substantive steps to end the war and humanitarian crisis in the Gaza Strip — a move that was swiftly condemned by Israel.

And last month, the British government announced a ban on Israeli defense firms attending a major London arms fair.

President Isaac Herzog visited the UK last week and sat down with Starmer for a “tough” conversation, the president said, with the two leaders stressing that they remain allies despite their sharp disagreements.

Times of Israel staff contributed to this report.